We just had a moment

Who: Caleb and Nic
Where: MSHS hallways, streets around town
When: fifth period and on

No one could fault Nic, in her mind. She'd tried, she really had. After lunch with Drea and a quick smoke, she'd gone back to class. Granted, she'd only gone because a vice principal had caught her at the edge of the parking lot and threatened to call her mom? But she'd gone. Not that there was any point whatsoever. People were crying, staring off at nothing, talking amongst themselves. The teacher wasn't pushing, not with the memorial today. And Nic really worked to put up with it all, but when one of the J.V. cheerleaders behind her started crying? She couldn't take it. She'd hopped up, spoken to the teacher about needing to see a counselor for her grief, and was gone.

Nearly gone, that is. First she needed to stop back at her locker, grab her second sweatshirt and spare CDs, and then she could go. She could walk around town for an hour before kickboxing, buy a cup of coffee, be somewhere that wasn't here. It'd be good to get away from both the messy tears of others and the vague freakyness of the whole scenario in Nic's mind. She'd hated Chrissy, didn't feel much for her death, but the others? They didn't deserve what happened. And it sat oddly with Nic. So she needed to get clear for a while, then go punch things and be yelled at in Thai.

Caleb was only sort of stalking. It wasn't active or anything, because he hadn't known where to look for her, so he'd just been kind of sort of waiting around near where he knew her locker was. Within view, anyhow. Which meant he was kind of hung back, leaning back against the wall, and he watched her walk up to her locker and open it up. He didn't say anything for a few moments, just kind of...watching her. Which he was aware in the back of his mind was creepy, but...whatever. It was a weird day. (He was ignoring the fact that his behavior had nothing to do with what was happening to day in any fashion whatsoever.)

Eventually pushing off of the wall, he ghosted up behind her, and curbed an impulse or two. One made it through though, which was to get a little too close, inside her personal space at any rate, and he lightly touched her lower back. "...hey." he said quietly, mostly because in that close, anything louder than that would have been too loud.

It was more the contact than the hushed word that startled Nic, the light feel of Caleb's fingers on her back. She spun around, one fist up and cocked back to take a swing with absolute fire in her eyes, a reflex Nic had no reason to work against yet. The fire died down quickly as recognition kicked in, her hand lowering a little. "Man, I wouldn't have even felt bad," she chided in greeting, smirking crookedly at Caleb and leaning back against her locker with a little sigh, "Gotta be careful, Lockwood. You're gonna end up with a shiner next time."

He'd kind of been expecting that, and just barely held back on snagging her wrist and pushing her back against the lockers. And then she went and obliged anyhow by leaning back on her own, and he put one hand against the shut locker over her left shoulder, not quite trapping her in, but maybe just a little. And he'd quit in a minute. Step back...whatever. "See, being careful isn't really my strong suit." he told her. "So...I'm figuring one day I'll wind up with a black eye courtesy of you. You could always just get it out of your system now, if you really wanted." he told her, faint quirk of a smirk on his lips.

Nic eyed him shrewdly for a moment, lips pursing as she studied the little smirk, the taunting look in his eyes. "Nice try," she said at last, giving a light shove at his chest, "Like I'm gonna smack you here, you know how fast I'd end up in the office even if you didn't go cry for help?" Hitting him wasn't what she wanted to do? But neither of those things were going to see their proper firsts in the highschool hallways. "Hey, I'm getting the fuck out of Dodge for the day, wanna come? If you're still feeling masochistic, I'll crack you in the nuts once we're off school grounds."

"I'm only masochistic in certain areas." Caleb said, pushing back and taking a full step back from her. "But yeah, I'm game for leaving." He remembered of course her grounded situation, so he was aware his time with her was going to be limited. He was also aware that he had been half expecting her to not want to be around him, and therefore was pleasantly surprised that she seemed to be cool with it. Or maybe she wasn't, and she was just going along with things because he'd come up to her. He just knew he'd wanted to see her, period. He'd meant to be more standoffish, but that hadn't happened. Sometimes, he just wasn't fully in charge of his reactions to things. Like her.

If he'd asked? Nic would've confessed to a fair amount of confusion about the two of them. She didn't want to avoid him, but didn't quite trust herself around him. She wanted to see him, but had to constantly watch the line. And now that he was right here? She was determined not to screw up again, even if she wanted to pull him back into trapping her again. Or turn the tables. We're friends, dammit. "Kickass," Nic told him with a wider grin, shutting her locker and stretching her arms up to pull her sweatshirt on, then shouldering her pack. "I'm thinking of getting a coffee down on campus, sound good? And are your balls one of those 'certain areas'?" It was daylight, she had a time limit, they'd be in public. What could go wrong?

She wasn't alone in the whole not really quite knowing what was up thing. He didn't know either. And he wasn't putting a whole lot of thought into it right now. He just put his sunglasses back on, because the glare of sunshine off of snow was too bright. "No, that's definitely not one ofthe areas." he told her, heading for the nearest door. "And coffee on campus is fine. How was your day of weird mourning?" he asked, watching her out of the corner of his eye--something that was easier when he was wearing sunglasses.

She didn't have sunglasses, so Nic opted to tug up the hood of her sweatshirt, obscuring most of her face. Her lips were still visible though, and they curled into a light smirk. "Fucking stupid," she answered with a shrug, "I feel bad for three of the four people? But I didn't, like, know them or anything. That one dude threw a sandwich at me last year, but it's forgiven now. I'm just done with people fucking weeping and saying how wonderful they all were, it's not like they'll keep looking at it like that in a month." Which was harsh, but for most of the school Nic figured it was true. She did feel bad for their families, she wished it had never happened, but she didn't want to wallow in a pity party because of it. "Had lunch with that chick I mentioned, Drea, that was an upshot. So's this," she added, grinning over at him as they pushed through the door to the outside.

He flashed a grin at her, though it was gone again in a moment or so. "I basically avoided everything, then got accosted by a cheerleader in the halls anyways. I figured I needed a dose of you in my day to even it out, or my brain might short circuit." He still didn't quite know what to make of Isabelle, or why she bothered talking to him, but whatever. She was more tolerable than most cheerleaders--he just wasn't about to tell her that.

"Oh god," she gasped breathily, fishing for her smokes in her hoodie as they walked. "You poor boy! We need to get back inside and get you to the nurse before you die of sugar shock! Was she complimenting you on your hair and asking if you wanted to get laid in the janitor's closet?" She waited until they were nearly off the parking lot before she lit up, smirking around her cigarette at Caleb. "Good thing you found me, I'm the piss and vinegar that'll neutralize the idiocy of anyone who owns pom poms and has to yell and clap when they're spelling something."

"Funny, I didn't get the janitor's closet option..." Caleb teased, making it sound like he was a little disappointed in that. Which, sure, Isabelle wasn't exactly hard on the eyes, but she was very definitely not his type. She was blonde, for one. Caleb generally speaking, with the lone exception of Leija, liked brunettes. That and he just couldn't abide by cheerleaders in general. "Guess I'm not pretty boy enough. Damn it all, I lost my chance. Pity." he continued as they walked. "But yeah, that was my thoughts on the matter. You even me back out after odd influences in my day."

She sneered at him in mock-disgust, shaking her head within the confines of the hood and blowing smoke out. "Let down that you're leaving school without some gonnorrhea? Poor guy," she joked, leaning to one side to bump Caleb with a shoulder. "Maybe it's not you. Maybe she's a lesbian and she joined the team for all the hot chicks in little skirts." The faint praise had her grinning in her hood, free hand stuffing into her hoodie pocket to keep from hitting him. He could probably tell when she was uncomfortable, based on the amount of punching. "My mom and the guidance counselor'll both be relieved now that I have some kind of purpose, even if it's just evening you out."

"She could be batting for the other team." Caleb said. "I didn't get into that with her, especially after the first conversation I had with her, which we discussed requirements of cheerleading and the ratio of meals to getting nailed." he continued. "And oh good, that's really what I wanted to bring to your life. True purpose." he said, still watching her. "Though I'm sure you know that I'm never really evened out. I'm cracked that way."

"Well, I'm lazy, so I need a project to keep working on," she retorted, turning to look more directly at Caleb, though still not dead-on. Nic had to wonder just how much he could read from her eyes, so maybe she could hide a little of her awkwardness this way. "You've already talked to her? Maybe she wants you to be one of those dude-cheerleaders, then. You'd look adorable in a little sweater with a megaphone," Nic teased, pulling down one last drag before dropping her cigarette and grinding it underfoot.

"You keep teasing me like that, and you're going to hurt my feelings." Caleb warned, tone light, teasing. "And I think mostly she knows I'm mildly annoyed by her presence, and she likes to poke at that." he assessed. "Or maybe she's got six IQ points more than your avereage cheerleader, and I occasionally provide intelligent conversation with my sarcasm." He shrugged. "Couldn't really say why she bothers, though."

I could guess. Really, she could. By now, Nic understood why people were somewhat drawn to Caleb. Or maybe it was just her, she wasn't quite sure. "I'd bet it's the former," she offered, "Girls like that like to try and make people squirm, whether it's because they're being checked out or because they know they're bothering someone." She wouldn't give credit to the idea of a cheerleader with wit, no way in hell. She sighed, looking at him fully as Nic smirked warmly and shook her head. "Whatever, I'm just glad I got you out of there before it was too late. Either you'd be assimilated, or I'd have to punch a bitch."

"Assimilation wouldn't happen, I'd sooner get myself killed than go that route." he said. Which...he always said things like that and then remembered that she knew that he'd actually attempted suicide at one point. Right. He went on anyhow, not tripping up on the statement at all. "I'm intrigued by this idea of you punching someone though. What would be the reasoning behind that? Don't want the pretty sparkly people bothering me?" he asked.

"Exactly that," Nic confirmed, hooking her thumbs in the straps of her backpack. "Last count, there were just enough people in this school who didn't suck that I could count them all on one hand and still flip everyone else off. If you get absorbed into all the bullshit, what do I do? Flash the peace sign? I'd rather just cut off a finger, at least I'd get some use out of my knife. But then you'd come to your senses and I'd be down a finger." And really, the little joking ramble was just to cover her own thoughts on what he'd said. She didn't want to think Caleb would try again? But she couldn't say for certain, and that was a death that'd shake her up.

"Wouldn't want you to be down a finger." Caleb said, smiling a touch. "So, guess I'll just keep being my unassimalatable self, and if you happen to catch them trying to gun for me, to turn me into a drone, you can throw down." he continued. Which...probably shouldn't be something he'd like to see, but he did. In that wholly inappropriate sort of manner he was ignoring the hell out of. Really he was. Just like he wasn't thinking about Nic in a collar either, like had come to mind last time he'd spoken to Dean... back on track.

He got a rich laugh from Nic, the very sound bleeding tension from her shoulders. Her grin was wide over that as she put up her fists, shuffling from foot to foot. "You're not allowed to laugh when I do my Muhammed Ali impression either, or you're next on the list," she warned, shadow boxing at him for a brief moment. "Unassimalatable? I think you made that up," Nic teased, dropping her hands, "But whatever, I have your permission, shit's on. Warn the cheerleader next time she tries to talk to you." She could've boxed him a little just then? But physicality tended to snowball with them, so Nic felt like it was the right call to just grab her backpack straps again.

"I did, but I've used it in a sentence. It's a word now." he told her matter o factly. "That's how the evolution of language exists." Or something like that. That was his theory and he was sticking to it. He was also resisting the urge to grab her fist, turn her around and have her held in about .2 seconds. That would probably fall under the category of unacceptable behavior. Thankfully she dropped her hands and such before he could change his mind on things. "How shall I warn her exactly? Something ominous and cryptic like 'if you keep talking to me, bad tidings shall come your way' or something more direct like 'so my friend Nic is going to beat the glitter out of your brain if you don't shut up and find someone else to talk to'?" he asked.

He was on a hot streak today, getting another laugh from Nic that actually stopped her for a second. "Definitely the second one," she confirmed, starting to walk again, "But throw in something like 'she's gonna give you a smile fit for the hockey team'. Ominous and cryptic doesn't suit me." She held up her fists again, considering and smirking at Caleb. "Unless I named my fists that? Ominous and cryptic?" Nic suggested, holding up both hands towards Caleb for consideration.

When she'd stopped, he'd turned to walk backwards to keep her in view for a few paces, only turning once she'd caught up again. He smirked when she held up her fists, and he reached out to take one of her hands, making a show of turning it over to size up as he considered. "I think you'd do better if you didn't get into body-part naming." he told her. "I mean, sure, there's a long history of humanity doing that, but there's just something a little cheesy about it. So I figure you should avoid, and just let your reputation precede you in situations such as those." he told her, keeping hold of her hand for a second longer, before he let go. "Also, does this mean you're going to start stalking me for a change? Because really, she accosts me at random, so it could be any time, anywhere. You'd have to show up out of the blue to get the drop on her."

"Well, that was just if I wanted the words to fit me," she said relentingly, the teasing dying in her voice as Caleb took her hand. Nic had a harder time maintaining her sarcasm when he was scrutinizing her like that, and all she could manage was a little grin as she took her hand back. "Stalk you? I could do that, I think. As long as it's not this week? Kinda hard to tail you when I'm grounded," Nic pointed out with a shrug, "But at school? Totally. Write down your schedule for me, I'll start hiding in lockers if I can fit. Would this mean I got to walk you home at night, for a change?"

"Only if it made you feel better, and if we both understood that I'd then drive you back to your house, or just tail you to make sure you got in alright." Caleb told her, and while he sounded like he was teasing--he wasn't. Whether or not he understood his stalking tendencies were off the rails and creepy, that didn't actually mean he had any intention to stop. He wanted Nic safe. End of story. The best way to do that was to make sure she got from point A to point B alright. "If you want my class schedule I can jot it down for you. But you wouldn't have to hide in lockers. We could just pass each other in the hall and make serious eye contact for a moment."

"Sure, give me a polite excuse for not fitting in a locker," Nic groaned dramatically, shaking her head. She was a solidly-built girl, it'd be a tight fit if she actually tried to hide in one. "Serious eye contact? Like, there should be some ominous music when our eyes meet?" she went on with a smirk, nodding like she liked the idea. "I'm game for it. As for me walking you home... no sense in wasting your time having you follow me back and walk back to your place. You're just lucky I'm willing to humor you, or I'd take the long way home every night." Plus? She was flattered, creepy as it all was. She got why he did it, but it was still a nice thought, monsters or no.

"Ominous music, maybe the lights dimming around the edges of the hallway, the sound turned down from all the voices around us before it all goes back to normal and we head off in opposite directions, because our class schedules do not mesh." Caleb said, going for fully dramatic there. "So that means you're going to just let me walk you home and give into my overprotective nature?" he asked. Whatever, he didn't actually have an overprotective nature, did he? Not in general. Maybe just with certain individuals. Then he went overboard with it. Like he saved up all of his good will for only a select group of people and didn't waste any on anyone else.

Nic scowled out of the folds of her hood at Caleb, a disbelieving look on her face. "Boy, please. Did you forget who you're walking with? I don't just give in to a damn thing. Yes, I'll let you walk me home. It's better than having you hide in the bushes and making my mom think you're some lech. But I will take every chance to mock your hair, bruise you up, and otherwise be the bitch you seem intent on picking at like a scab. Deal?" she asked with a far sunnier smile than that proposal deserved. "If it is, I'll tape some spooky music and blackmail someone into playing it on the P.A. between classes." Not that she'd actually be able to pull that off, but it sounded good.

"Aw, c'mon, Nic. Give me more credit than that. If I was stalking you--you'd never know, and your mom sure as hell wouldn't ever spot me." he told her, smirking. Of course, just because that was true didn't mean he sounded like it. He sounded like hew as teasing. "But fine, whatever, yuo're going to do all of that anyhow, might as well take it for the compensation for allowing me to just walk you home instead of having to put the effort into stalking."

"Well, you're going to insist either way, right? I've gotta come away with my pride, at least. Not much to lose, so I'm trying to keep what there is," she explained with a self-deprecating little smirk. "My mom might surprise you, dude," Nic went on with a little shake of her head, "I swear that being a parent heightens the senses. And seriously, that'd be a bad first impression to make. Not that I'd really give a damn if she thought you were weird. I already know you are." And yet she was vaguely hooked on him anyway, unexplainable as that was. "You think you might want to do the whole videogames thing sometime soon? Since I'm under house-arrest and shit."

Internally, Caleb's thoughts started to slide down into dark-land. Because he knew she was probably kidding, but her whole 'no really, my mom would notice' thing just had him thinking about how no, seriously, he could pull off following her and not only would she not know, but no one else would either. Because it wouldnt' be hard. And if he could do it, someone else could. And not only that, but he was being underestimated. Probably in a good way, because the whole being able to follow someone effectively wasn't necessarily an awesome trait to be branded with, but...it just gave him that idea that she didn't know him. Even if he knew she knew him pretty well, considering. It took him a second to answer her question, to wrest himself from his thoughts. "Yeah, I do, whenever's good." he told her, looking back over.

If she'd thought about it all instead of being glib, Nic would've realized that no, she wouldn't see Caleb coming. he'd surprised her minutes earlier in an empty hallway, and must've been hiding in plain sight when she went to her locker. But she wasn't considering that, she was just thinking that the company was nice. She was doing as well as anyone could after the weekend, but Nic was still off-balance internally. And as well as she seemed to maintain, she liked having someone there. Him or Drea or her mom, they all helped. "Cool, I'll clear it with the warden and let you know," Nic said agreeably, biting her lip for a moment before looking Caleb's way. "So this might seem abrupt, but I'm not gonna do the double question of 'can I ask you something'. So... do you ever get scared? Like, by all this shit? Or the dark and what's out there?" Not that she thought he was fearless, she just didn't know quite what might be his weak spot.

He was silent for what felt like a long time after she asked, because he wasn't quite sure how to answer her. Fear? He didn't necessarily think of himself as afraid of anything. And not really in that bullshit 'I'm far too cool to be scared' manner. More that shit didn't phase him much. Even in the middle of a fight, when he was having that vague, fleeting thought that he might get his ticket punched this time, it wasn't that he was afraid of it. After a while he realized he had to say something. "I don't know." he said honestly. "I think...fear to me and fear to you might be different things. I kind of--my world view isn't the same. I don't usually get scared. Most of the time I just...react accordingly, I guess. I've been--" he stopped dead there, as something bubbled up in the back of his mind, things he didn't want to be thinking about. God no, not right now, couldn't he just bury that shit and be done with it?

Had she nearly gotten him to say something he didn't want to? Maybe one of the Big Secrets? Half of Nic wanted to leap on the possibility, to push him to finish the sentence. The other half? It reminded her how easily he could be made twitchy, how hard it was to level off once that happened. Not today, she decided with a huff of breath, When he's ready, he'll finish the sentence. So she just looked at him and smirked a little, shaking her head. "Never mind whatever that was. I just... walking home and shit, right? I think about it now? And I always have my headphones? But I get kinda spooked thinking that having them on might make me miss some big nasty sizing me up. Is that... crazy of me? Because I already dig having company, present company excluded," she teased, bumping him with a shoulder again, "But it's even moreso now, just to keep me tuned in. I hate this town, but I can't just block it out with Hatebreed any more."

He tried to go with her, roll with the way she was letting him off the hook and everything, but once he started thinking about where Math had taken him, the feelings that brought up, everything else, it was really hard to just drop it and move forward. He tried, though--it was just clear that he wasn't fully there with her anymore. "It's not crazy, usually when I'm feeling like that, I've only got one of my ears with a headphone, the other one I leave open, just so I hear anything that might be coming for me." Because it happened. Like that fucking stupid vampire.

"Well, I'll have to add earbuds to my list of shit to get once I have some money," Nic mused with a grin that was somewhat forced. She could see the tension on him, and she felt somewhat guilty for having asked her questions in the first place. Sure, she couldn't control Caleb's line of thought, but that didn't mean she liked to see it go this way. "Or my birthday list, since I think my mom'd be more willing to spring for those than, say, an axe." She'd have to buy that herself. Nic didn't know how to use one? But she liked the idea of learning, she could just see herself swinging one at some gothy emo vampire. "Good to know it's not just me, too," she added, resisting the urge to reach out and tilt up Caleb's shades before her hand got past the halfway point. She wanted to see his eyes? But she could guess that he'd flinch if she tried.

"I'm sure you could get some for like...a dollar at one of the dollar stores." he told her, thinking maybe he'd just buy some for her. "And paranoia...I don't know. I'm paranoid, I know that. But I figure better paranoid than caught unawares." he told her. "And an axe, huh? You really want to start carrying one of those? A hatchet might fit in your backpack..." And those were easy to get, right? Hm. But he already gave her her knife. Maybe she could use both.

Yeah, it was definitely good to hear. If he'd lived his whole life in this world and still felt paranoid? Well, it meant Nic was dealing better than she thought. "I don't want to carry it with me all the time or anything," she clarified, "I just figured it'd be something else to practice on. I feel like I'm behind? Like I need to just work, y'know? If it's the white magic or the knife or kickboxing or whatever, I want to keep trying. And if I'm pushing... I think about shit less." Shit like the werewolf, her dreams, who she might have been, what could happen to her mother, what she and Caleb couldn't quite resolve. There was too much to think about, really. "A hatchet could be cool, yeah. I'll have to pick one up." She needed to start working soon, if only for necessities like these or the first books she'd need if she wanted to try her hand at magic.

That he could understand. Keeping moving, pushing, because it gave you less time to stop and think about shit. It gave less time for everything to fall down around you. Less time to panic, less time to dwell. "You're not behind." he told her. "But learning as much as you can...that I encourage." he said. Just as long as it wasn't black magic or blood magic. That he vetoed the shit out of. "hatchets are pretty easy to use. Less of a hassle than larger axes, more menouverability. You can still use one in tight spaces pretty effectively." Yeah, he thought about tactics.

"Plus I could just throw one if I needed to," she suggested, seeing the wisdom of his point, "So maybe I'll have to buy a few? People will be all like 'oh shit, it's Three-Axe Nic!'!" Nic chuckled a little, shaking her head at the idea and the following one; how she'd explain them if anyone else ever found them. That was the wisdom of Caleb's knife, she supposed. It was simple, easily explained, and it let him access his arcane lessons. "Wanna come shopping with me when I pick one out? It's better than watching me try on dresses or something, and I could probably use the input." So she hadn't stopped the faint glower she could see on him yet, that didn't mean she was going to stop trying.

"If you actually do want to learn to throw them....you'll need actual throwing axes." Caleb told her, watching her out of the corner of his eye again. "Regular hatchets aren't balanced right." he told her. "So, you throwing one at someone would probably just give them a headache. But there are throwing axes available on the shiny internet. I'm sure you could even get ones that look pretty wicked cool. You'd probably have to put an edge on them, since they'd not necessarily be marketed with practical use in mind...but still."

She didn't realize he was watching, but Nic was being far more obvious with her odd glances aimed his way. "See, that's why I need a shopping buddy, even if it's just for a regular hatchet," she agreed, "All I know about that kind of thing comes from Friday The Thirteenth, which isn't exactly a good basis for reality." And even if what she wanted was on the internet? That was a whole purchasing hurdle she wouldn't be able to clear, so a normal hatchet would have to do for now. But in one more month, she'd be eighteen. And while she didn't want to piss off her mom? She'd be getting the axes by then. "You should write one of those survival manual things," she teased, tugging her hood back as they hit a block that was dense with overhanging tree limbs, "There's already like... zombies, action movies, and even a Batman guide."

He was aware of her looks, he just couldn't yank himself out of things so easily and while he was still trying, the lingering effects were still there. "The zombie survival guide...Dean's got that." He knew, he'd gotten it for him for Lullaby. Which was kind of ironic, considering. "Looked interesting. But somehow I don't think my particular view of the world should be put up for public consumption." he told her. "Y'know, I'm really pessimistic...don't have near enough charm to sell something right...I'm only useful for personal, one on one information sharing."

"You could make it really short, then? Just like two pages; first one? 'You're probably not gonna make it'. Second? 'No, seriously.' Hell, I'd buy it." But she was biased, and she figured he was more useful than he'd give himself credit for. Nic felt a little weird, joking about what she now knew was a very real truth. A manual wouldn't help, really. But it was something to talk about instead of yelling at him for being bogged down in whatever was on his mind. Again. "Don't sell yourself short on the charm, buddy," Nic noted instead, "You're the guy who attracts random cheerleaders and gets me to accept being walked home." And that sounded good. She yelled at him a lot, and even if the urge was there to do so now? She was trying not to.

He smiled for just a second, a faint expression that died nearly immediately, but it made a brief appearance. "Generally speaking, I'm only charming when I'm around nurses or stewardesses that I want something out of." he told her, tone at least bordering on teasing. "The random cheerleader was a fluke, and I think you're only letting me walk you home because you're placating me, and it's easier than thinking you're really being stalked."

The smile was a start, she'd take it. She'd also wonder in private when getting him to grin had become so important. "Stewardesses, huh? You a member of the Mile High Club?" Nic mocked, reaching up to scratch at her head briefly and debating another smoke. It'd probably be a bad idea before her first day of voluntary exercise, so she could wait. "I don't placate, Lockwood. I either like what's going on or I get the fuck away from it." Which, really? That applied to several layers of whatever it was happening with them. "So if you're officially stalking me? Cool. I'll start flipping you off out my window, just in case you're actually wasting your time out there."

You really don't get it. Caleb thought, and again tried to push the thought away. "Dirty mind--I didn't say what I wanted out of them. Just that that's when I bother attempting to be charming." Mostly he was surprised when it worked. He'd never thought he'd had it in him, but apparently he did. He just didn't usually try it. He let the other part of what she said go, because it brought to his mind the whole situation between them again. How he liked her, she liked him, and...they were ignoring. Because of the Big Glaring Secret. Right.

"Who, me? A dirty mind? Here I thought I was Mother Theresa with Slayer's autographs," Nic shot back dryly, reaching out to slug him in the shoulder. "And what else would you be bugging stewardesses for? Sneaking free bottles of booze your way? Extra pillows? Headphones so you can watch 'Legally Blonde' for free?" None of the above, of course. "Whatever, it's a non-issue. I'm just running my mouth," she conceded with a smirk, deciding that it was better than talking about the real issues on her mind. "Oh, stop by my locker again tomorrow or something? I'll get you your shirt back."

"Because I'm dying without it." Caleb said drily, not commenting on what else she said. Like no, really the charm kicked in when he wanted to have a knife along with him on a flight. That was hard to convince people was necessary in the current political climate. "Plus I still have yours." he added. Which he didn't mind having, and he still liked the idea of her having one of his shirts. It was stupid, of course, but...still.

"Then we'll swap," Nic decided, fighting a private smile, "Whenever you bring mine? I'll get you yours. It's pretty da
mn comfortable, though. I sorta lounged in it all of Saturday." She'd slept in it the morning after getting home, and really? Nic was hoping Caleb would just forget her shirt; then she could keep his with no guilt, since she'd made the initial offer. "I just wish I had stuff with actual sleeves, I doubt I'll ever get to see you all decked out in my shit." Maybe she would? But somehow, Nic wasn't sure it'd be any time soon.

He internally smirked. The idea of her just wearing his shirt was a nice one. And tha was again, stupid, but whatever. It was there. "You can keep it, if you want to." he told her. Since it did in fact, have long sleeves like most of his clothing. He had a few tshirts, but they went over long sleeve shirts. So it wasn't like he didn't have others. "Then you'll have a shirt with actual sleeves." Then he paused. "Get to see me....that mean you're encouraging me to wear your shirt?" he asked. And if we're going to be exchanging clothing....

She had to laugh softly, cheeks burning a touch as Nic realized that it did sound encouraging. "Not in, like, an emo-kid 'borrow some girl jeans' way? But yeah, I guess I am," she confessed, glancing over and squinting as sunlight filtered through the branches overhead. "It's big on me, it'll probably look better on you anyway." It was a shared thought; the idea that him in her shirt was something neat. "And if I'm gonna start wearing long sleeves, I'll need to get more necklaces. Can't pull off the bracelets if they're covered up," Nic pointed out, holding up choked wrists just beyond the sleeves of her sweatshirt. "Maybe a choker or something. God... you know I blame you for the fact that I'm talking about shopping more today than I ever have, right? Even if it's shopping for weapons and shit?"

That actually got a real laugh out of him. it was short, but clear. "A choker would look good on you." he told her. "And I guess I'm just a bad influence." He wasn't thinking about a collar. He wasn't. ...or maybe just a little. Shit. "You could always get a collar. it would go with your image." he added, in an offhand manner, like he hadn't had it crossing his mind at odd moments for a few days now...

"Yeah?" Nic asked thoughtfully, smiling over a little surge of pride as Caleb laughed. "I tried one back in Green Bay? Borrowed it from a friend for a concert, but it was all spiked and shit. I kinda cut my chin up on it," she admitted with a small laugh of her own. "I'd have to shop around for one, I guess. Can't have slave rings or anything, you give me enough grief over all that S&M crap." But she wasn't ruling the idea out, because really? It would fit with how she presented herself. "I'll add it to the list."

He could picture that all too easily. But then he could also picture her cutting her chin on the spikes, which really took away from any badass imagery. But still. "I'd say plain black leather. That would go with everything you own." he told her. And he needed to shut up about this now. Really, really he did. But then again he was kind of surprised she was even considering the idea.

Was he actually advising her on her fashion? Caleb had never really seemed to care about Nic's look, either positively or negatively, so this was somewhat surprising. But it was also a minor bit of advice, so reading anything more from it? That was something she could attribute to her own mind. "Well, it'll go on the bottom of the list. Not as useful as throwing axes or headphones," she joked, shoulders bunching in a shrug. "But if you're out buying fuzzy handcuffs or something and you see one? Let me know." She wouldn't think he was back to center, but there was definitely some relief as they left the side streets and started down Third towards Washington Street.

He was thinking if he saw one, he might just get it for her, and then wondered just how bad an idea that was. It didnt' help that he thought of a way to give it to her too. Just break into her locker and leave it hanging in there. ...he thought about this shit way too much, apparently. And yet the idea was now planted in his mind. "I'll let you know." he told her, promising. Even if he didn't think he would. He knew she didn't have money, so....he could probably afford one. He didn't have much money either, unfortunately, but...whatever. What was he buying?

Nic wouldn't consider it a bad idea on its own? But with everything unresolved between them, it'd definitely be a mixed message. Still, left to it on her own? Nic probably wouldn't buy one, there was just better uses for the money. "Never thought I'd be planning that," she told him, smirking down at her feet and stuffing her hands back in her pockets, "But you're an interesting catalyst like that." Before Caleb? Things had been normal and dull. Now they were, well, frightening. But exhilarating too. Even if she could, Nic wasn't sure she'd want to go back to before she knew what she did now.

"Apparently. Maybe I just bring out the girl in you." Caleb teased lightly, actually fully starting to come out of everything, getting more back on the level of being in the here and now with her. "So...interesting catalyst, possible bad influence...punching bag...I serve a lot of functions in your life, don't I?" he asked. He left out the bits like personal supernatural dictionary and dirty knife fighting teacher. Or personal artist.

"Not too much responsibility, is it?" Nic asked in kind, lip catching in her teeth to keep her from grinning too much. "I could just take out an ad on the internet if it is. 'Single white metalhead seeks low-grade masochist. Knife fighting skills a must. Please send pic and list of top ten albums.' I'd catch some winners with that one." She sighed a little, head shaking enough to work a braid from behind her ear. "Yeah, you do," she admitted, leaning in to bump him. "Hate to say it? But I think I'm gonna keep you. I even cleaned my closet, you can nearly lay down in there now."

He smirked. "Yeah yeah, I know, I'm unoriginal, and there's a million guys out there just like me." he said. "I'm sure you'd have your pick. Maybe one for every day of the week, just to keep things edgy for you." he teased. Then she made the comment about keeping him, and he actually liked that. He shouldn't, considering the Ignoring going on, but he liked it anyhow. "Yeah?" he asked. "You going to keep me chained to the wall in there?" he asked. "Or just keep me in there for emergencies, when your mom comes to check on you?"

She laughed, privately pleased that he wasn't refuting the idea. "There you go again with the bondage thing," she teased, winking at him boldly, "And it's more for sleeping space. I can set up an exercise wheel, put down some newspapers..." Nic trailed off teasingly. "My mom doesn't really brave my room? She gives me that much, as long as she's only smelling cigarette smoke on me. So you could just have free reign of the place until bedtime. Then it's into the closet or under the bed." And there was definitely room to joke about other options, but Nic thought she might blush enough to give herself a nosebleed, if that was even possible.

"My very own wheel?" he asked, mock-excited. "Wow! Sure am glad I'm your pet..." he started, then paused as he looked thougthful. "Wait, no, I'm not a hamster. Well shit. that blows that idea out of the water." he tsked, shaking his head. "Nice thought, though. And didn't you threaten me with under your bed before? Why would I want to sign up for this voluntarily?"

"Because you're dying to live a sitcom scenario where you're always sneaking past my mom?" Nic suggested, laughing at the overblown reaction he gave. Yeah, definitely an improvement. "And just for the record? you used the word 'pet', I just inferred it." But she wanted a better suggestion for why he'd actually volunteer, and Nic's lips pursed together as she considered. "You wouldn't have to follow me any more, either. We just... both walk home and get there at the same time. And I'd even let you use the bed whenever I fall asleep on the couch... it's a sweet deal you're looking at."

"Oh wow, I can use the bed when you're not in it?" he asked. "Hmm. Might have to consider it. But wait, does that mean I get smacked with a newspaper to get off of it when you wander back in to crash?" he asked. "Because I'm not sure I like the sound of that." Now sharing, he liked the sound of. But again, that was going someplace he didn't want to go. There was badness there. Or...potential badness. Nevermind the potential awesome.

There they were, sharing thoughts again. The closeness had never gotten to that point, but Nic figured that curling up with Caleb? Yeah, there was no potential there, just awesome. "You're buying too much of my hype," she argued with a pleased smirk, "I'm not that big of a harpy. If I saw you all comfy? I'd either just wedge in there or steal a pillow and hit the floor." Because her bed was small, and two people would necessitate some cuddling up. But hey! Awkward thoughts! "It's an imperfect idea, I'll admit it. So just consider it dropped until I can offer a better solution. You can stay comfy with your own bed."

"Alright, we'll just stick with me being a friend, and not a pet, and if I'm dodging your mom, I'll just have to wing it at the time." he told her. They were coming up on places they could get coffee by now, though he was generally waiting for her to figure that out. "Though for the record, I wouldn't mind if you got in with me." he added, knowing full well he shouldn't have.

Okay, fuck ignoring things. That just wasn't fair in Nic's mind. She glanced away from Caleb as her face twisted into a smile, eyes settling on a bagel place right across the street. Nothing like public and daylight to keep him from retaliating, either. She turned back to him, leaning in close for a moment to whisper in a rush. "This? Is even less fair than what you just said," she told him with a smile, planting a little kiss on his jawline just inside of his ear. Nic hopped back with a laugh, turning to dash across the street quickly as she felt her ears burn with embarassment. It was probably dumb of her to have done that, but she could only step around things for so long before they just wound around her and made her want to trip.

Good god was that ever not fair. His eyes drifted just a little bit shut as she did that, and it was probably good that she dashed off, because he half reached for her as well. What he might have done with her if he'd caught her, who knew, and instead he watched her cross the street, giving himself a minute to compose himself. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he started to cross the street, smirking at her. "....that was massively unfair." he muttered--though he didn't sound like he minded, exactly.

Nic was counting out money at the counter when Caleb finally arrived. Her eyes were still wide, somewhat exhilarated, but her blush had faded and left a grin in its wake. She'd let the nervous laughter flow out as she moved, but her mind was still reeling. She did that, she pushed it forward a little. Had it been a mistake? She'd probably find out in a minute. "...and eighty-three cents," she told the cashier, handing over a few crumpled dollars and a scattered handful of change, then looking over her shoulder to Caleb. "Got you a coffee too, hope you actually wanted one," she informed him, nose wrinkling as she stuck her tongue out fleetingly in a silent sort of teasing.

"Thank you." he told her, giving her a bit of a smirky Look, but not saying anything. He now wanted to do a few things, little, flirting kinds of things, that might push her buttons but figured that would be asking for trouble. Possibly a lot of trouble. Yeah, definitely a lot of trouble. He took the coffee she'd gotten for him, and stepped back, waiting for her to lead the way wherever they were heading.

"You're welcome," she replied lightly, dumping a few sugars into her cup and heading for the door. What might he have done without these people working or checking their laptops? Why was she so curious to know? Why are we fucking avoiding this? It's fun. Of course, Nic knew why, she just wanted to not have that reason any more. She pushed back out the door, backstepping and smirking Caleb's way. "It's all in the timing, y'know," Nic said randomly, "That would've been way less funny if a car hit me when I ran off."

"You're right, it would have been far less amusing." Caleb told her, shaking his head. "And still." he continued, sipping at his coffee. "You realize that this might very well mean war." he warned her lightly. "I can't just let that go unretaliated." He just wasn't going to warn her when he'd exact revenge. Personally he would want to wait until she wasn't expecting it.

She bit her lip again, not quite able to stop the curl of a smile at the corners of her mouth over Caleb's loose threat. "Well I'd hope not," Nic teased, heading down the sidewalk but letting her gaze linger more on Caleb than the path. He'd keep her from walking into traffic. "Technically, I think you started it? But no war is really a war without escalation, is it?" She sipped at her coffee gingerly, blowing away a curl of steam and sighing in appreciation at the warmth of her first drink. "Though you should wait until I don't have scalding liquids to throw at you," she cautioned before taking another sip.

"You don't really think that I'd go for it immediately after the fact, or when you're expecting it, do you?" Caleb asked. "Nic, I thought you knew me better than that." he said with a mock-sigh. "And I didn't start it." he added, mostly to see if she would clarify for him how he had started it. In reality, he had. He knew he had. He'd started it when he'd shoved her back against the wall in the orphanage.

"What can I say? Sometimes you're... impulsive," she pointed out with a knowing smile and another sip of coffee. "And you did start it, you ass! Today at least. 'Oh, you could climb in bed with me!'" she trilled in a mocking falsetto, winking at Caleb. "Seriously, that's a delcaration of war, amigo." A fun war, but war all the same. But as much as she might've sounded like it? Nic wasn't complaining, not with that grin on her lips.

"Who started talking about keeping me in her closet, and mentioned that I could sleep in her bed? That wasn't me." Caleb pointed out, smirking at her. "That was you. I just worked with the ammunition you gave me. So this is clearly your fault." he told her matter o factly. Even if yep. He still claimed all the blame. he'd pushed things. Up til then it was mostly just that vibe between them. He was the one who'd pushed things to a much more unignorable level.

"Okay, so you still started it," Nic reiterated, smirking and shaking her head. "I armed you? But you used it." Though, contrary to her words, she wasn't complaining. Why else would she feel justified in little acts of mutual torment, otherwise? And she'd be remembering that, no two ways about it. Even if it had just been his jaw, she'd kissed him. "So don't go complaining, cry baby. Shit or get off the pot." Yep, that was Nic; eloquent as always. "And? If I really wanted to fight over this? I said you could use my bed when I was on the couch."

"You done?" Caleb asked, making a show of rolling his eyes, which really would have worked out better if he wasn't wearing sunglasses. He kept walking, sipping at his coffee, vaguely wondering just how long they could keep this up. How long they would have to, before he crashed and burned things. Because really, he knew he would.

She laughed at the simple question and the raise of his eyebrows over his glasses, nose wrinkling with a grin. "Seriously? I'm never done, Caleb. I could keep this up for hours if I didn't think you'd get sick of it and start ducking me," she answered, breathing deep and sipping her coffee. Maybe it was the nerves she felt, but Nic really felt like she could just keep talking. "Why, are you conceding the point? Or just getting me to drop it so you can try and plot against me?"

He noticed she was kind of in ramble mode at the moment. Really kind of super talkative and playful. Which, he supposed, wasn't a bad thing at all. Interesting, even. He just wasn't sure where it stemmed from. So, he'd need to figure that out. "I seem to be under the impression that no matter what I say at the moment, I can't win." he told her. "So, I figured I'd just ask you if you were finished, or if you had more to pile on. I mean, if that's what you want to do right now, go for it, keep piling. I'll just listen til you're finished." he teased.

She opened her mouth like she was about to keep going, breath sucking in for a moment, then stopped. Nic's eyes narrowed shrewdly at Caleb as she shut her mouth, lips quirking into a small grin. "And that's how you get me to stop," she said, "Just tell me to keep going. You've been getting pointers from my mom, haven't you?" Of course, if he had? She'd be getting a lot more questions at home about him. And that wasn't happening, not yet at least. But she was done for now, just smirking over the edge of her coffee cup at Caleb as they walked. "Should I be afraid, though? I mean, you said you were going to wait for retaliation..."

"No, I'm just naturally talented." Caleb said. "...and happen to know a few things about you. And I'm smarter than most people give me credit for." he added. "And i don't know, that depends. What would you be afraid of?" he asked lightly, little half grin just barely making an appearance for a few moments. "What might be scary for you?"

Nic made a show of thinking that over, plumbing her depths of thought in consideration. She didn't scare easily from mundane things, and doubted Caleb would go out and find another werewolf just for the sake of this ongoing joke. "You could... ask me to prom? Tell me you want to share your love of Jesus with me?" she suggested, shrugging a little. "Tell me to wear a dress or do my hair, that'd freak me out." He could try to take her on the conventional idea of a date, but neither of them would opt for that. Besides which? They weren't doing that sort of thing. "I'm a tough one to shake up," she pointed out, "But you do know me pretty well, so I'm sure you'll think of something."

Caleb thought she'd probably look good in the right dress. Something black. Maybe red. And he could quit thinking about that now. "Prom would require me to dress up too, and I don't figure that's happening any time in my life. Jesus...well...let's just not go there." he decided. "Now here's the real question." he said, making her wait for a good thirty seconds before he continued with said question. "Why is it you figure what I might have in store for you would be something that would have a negative impact?" he asked innocently.

Because the only good things that would scare me aren't going to happen, she mused, sipping her coffee and feigning consideration. "All I know is that whatever you're planning? It's intended to make me squirm," Nic answered, "So unless you get creative, it'd most likely have a negative impact. But I think you'd look good in a tux." Of course, Caleb was creative, so she couldn't know for certain until he did whatever he was going to do. "Why? Do you already have some plan that's going to turn my world upside down?"

"No, I'd probably look like a high priced waiter." Caleb said, shaking his head. "and wouldn't you like to know? Sorry, can't tell you. It'd ruin things. You're just going to have to live in fear of what I might do at any given moment." he told her with mock-regret in his tone, that didn't at all match the grin he flashed her.

"I'll just have to start working on contingencies now, then," Nic warned, mirroring his grin. "I'll need a few so I can pick an appropriate response for whatever you do. You want some fight? I'll give you some fight." And she'd look forward to it, too. Little games like this were fun, and they gave her a chance to vent some of the mountain of frustration she felt when they hung out. They were, in that sense, similar to the way she tended to hit him or talk trash; without them, she would've given into the tension right now or gone even crazier than she had and totally scared him off.

"Nic, Nic, Nic, it's always down to violence with you!" Caleb teased. Because he could talk. "Talking retaliation, and fights, and you beat me up all the time as it is...You have got some unchecked aggression to look into, young lady." he told her, eyeing her out of the corner of his eye--mostly just waiting to be hit for that statement.

"It's a fucking metaphor!" she snapped, still grinning as she raised a hand like she was going to smack him but refraining. "Or a simile, I don't know. Some kind of comparison bullshit, go ask your English teacher. All I'm saying is that if you want to mess with me? I'll mess right back. If it was a real fight? I'm tough, but you're..." She trailed off, smirking as she thought for a good description. "You're a scrappy little dude, Caleb. I wouldn't pick a serious brawl with you. But seriously, I know I've got anger issues. Everyone in school knows. Shit, people in China probably know."

"The chinese are behind on their world culture, they sensor the internet. Now people in Japan--they probably know." Caleb told her, chuckling just a little. "But good to know that you wouldn't pick a serious fight with me. That's a plus. I hadn't really wanted to fight with you in the first place, and now I know I don't have to." Really, he wouldn't put up a fight against her. He had two modes in a fight. Bleeding out and killing things. Neither of those two worked so well for a fight with someone you cared about.

"Ugh, people in Japan? Creepy," Nic was quick to say, feigning a shudder. "I don't even want to think about what impressions they have of me, unless it's Niczilla, and I'm totally wailing on downtown Tokyo." She finally pushed her raised hand out to tap him far lighter than she usually did, head shaking. "Yeah, no worries about us butting heads. Except like this, which I think you like as much as I do." It'd take some kind of spectacular event to turn her against him, and really, Nic couldn't even imagine what it could be. She knew there could be an exception, but had no idea what shape it would take.

"Niczilla is huge in Japan." Caleb deadpanned. "They sell little keychains out of gumball machines with you on them, but it's a mixed bag. It's right next to the gumball machines that have the urine droplet dolls and the little shitpiles dolls. Japan is a strange place." he said. And it was partially why he had a hello kitty guitar pick on a chain around his wrist.

"As long as there's no body pillows of me, it's all good," she assured him with a laugh, shaking her head again. "Serious, urine and shitpile dolls? There's... there's just no words." Which might've been a good thing, what with how the Muay Thai studio wasn't that far away. Nic could see the sign from here, and in a few minutes they'd be there. "So anyway... yeah. You feel like hanging around here for a bit? My class doesn't start for like, half an hour or so. If you've got shit to go do, that's cool. I'll just chill outside, got my CD player in my backpack."

"I didn't have any pressing engagements." Caleb said, fine with hanging out. He didn't especially want to rush off or anything, he didn't have any reasons to. Plus, he just kind of wanted to be there, hanging out with her. Particularly with the grounded situation going on. He wondered if she'd talked to her mom. If she'd gotten any names, or anything. If she knew anything that they just weren't talking about right now.

"Sweet," was all she said, both from being happy that he was sticking around, and as a warning as Nic made a beeline to one side, moving for the parking garage. She moved to the raised wall that edged it in, setting her coffee on the ledge, then hopping up to sit next to it. If there was time to kill, she wasn't just going to stand around outside the studio waiting or head in early. Caleb wasn't the only one who wanted to be hanging around together, after all. "I hope I don't completely suck at this," she murmured, fishing out a cigarette. She hadn't planned on having another, but sitting and waiting? It needed a fidget-focus, especially around Caleb. "Between these classes and my possible-job, it's like I'm stretching school out four days a week."

"This mean you aren't going to have any time for me anymore?" Caleb asked, following her, and he sat on the low wall at the edge of the parking garage, drinking a little more coffee before setting it next to him. "Since you'll be so busy with school, and this, and everything else...am I going to have to start scheduling when I see you?" he asked. "Y'know, beyond those times where I walk you home to make sure you get there alright."

Nic glanced over at him, skepticism lingering in her eyes. Caleb was a flippant guy most of the time, which made it easy to believe he was just being a wiseass right now. Even if he was? She liked hearing him wonder about that. "You could schedule time if you wanted? But you'd still just be able to call or come knock on my window, too." Sipping her coffee and lighting up were both good momentary buffers to steel herself before Nic looked over. "Honestly, Caleb? I'd be cool with hanging out more. I know you worry about things, and I know shit's awkward? Doesn't mean I don't like it or anything. But I also don't want you thinking I want to, like, get joined at the hip. Whatever time you want, you've got, okay?"

He could handle hanging out with her more. Or...part of him could. Other parts of him figured that was just asking for trouble, and anyhow, hadn't he played this game already? The whole pining after some girl, but never making a move for whatever fill in the blank reasons? He must just be emotionally masochistic. Because here he was again. Though, putting Nic and Leija in the same breath even in his head was weird, and made him twitch some. "Don't tell me things like that, I might take you up on it." he told her.

"Do it," Nic told him with only the faintest hesitation, a moment she needed to just force the words out without second-guessing herself. She shifted in her seat slightly, cigarette hanging low and away from Caleb in one hand as she looked over. "Seriously, I wouldn't say so otherwise. Yeah, there's tension? But I mean... we talked about it. We know it's there. And I trust you, and I think you trust me? So I'm not afraid that we're going to fuck anything up." Nic smiled faintly at that, torn between being glad her hands were full and wishing they weren't. "You know how I feel, and that's not going to change overnight? So... yeah, I want some regular time. More regular time. Even if it's just you walking me to or from class, or just me calling long enough for you to hear some Soundgarden, calling you a homo when you answer, and hanging up."

"You know I haven't had nearly enough randomly belligerent phonecalls in my life." Caleb commented. Mostly he was just saying it though, to distract from everything else. She'd said the words. That she trusted him. Which...he didn't know if he could be trusted. In fact, if he had to guess, he was willing to lay money on the answer being 'emphatically not'. So, did that mean if he did anything, that she'd take that as a breech of that trust? And she'd just kissed him...where did that fit in? Unless it didn't, and she was exempt from it all. God damn this was confusing.

"Well, I've always wanted to be good at something. Maybe that's my calling," she joked in response, shaking her head at Caleb. "Bottom line? If you want more? Say so. Don't tell me not to suggest it, just do it if you want to do it. If you don't? Well, we're pretty fucking cool right now, I'd have to be wearing a Special Ed helmet to not see that." Which, when she thought about it, was pretty close to putting herself out there, but not quite. "I'll call at three A.M. either way, play some Slayer, and hang up. Deal?"

"Deal." Caleb said. Then paused, watching her for a few long minutes. "This mean it's all on me?" he asked, tone light. He wanted to get back to where things were less serious and the like, but he wanted to know. If it was on him, up to him, and then on top of that the trust thing...yeah he had a lot to think about here.

Nic smiled at the question, shaking her head. "Not at all. I want to hang out more, even if there's shit we're sidestepping. But I don't want to push, so all I feel like I can do is tell you that. And if you feel that way too? Then you don't have to worry about coming on too strong or hoarding my time, since I'm down for it. It's a mutual effort, or.... it should be." She shrugged again, drawing her feet up to rest her heels on the edge of the wall, flicking her smoke away and resting her arms across her knees. "If it doesn't feel like it? If you think it's all on you? Tell me, I'll sort it the fuck out. Since I know how delicate you are," Nic finished with a teasing wink that was, at the same time, reassuring.

He gave a little half smile. "Yeah. I'm so terribly fragile." he said. And then kind of regretted it. Because wasn't he the one who'd had two mental breakdowns in rapid succession? Why yes, yes he was. It didn't give him any points towards stability. He did like what she said about things feeling mutual. It reminded him a little too much of Jamie, and how she'd said the same thing while wanting him to carry her entirely, but Nic wasn't like that. He had to believe she wasn't. This wasn't going to go the same ways his other relationships had. She was different. And if he kept telling himself that, maybe one day he'd believe it. "But good to know." he finished, giving her a light nod, fully acknowledging what she'd said. At least communication seemed open between them. That was something.

She sat quietly, somewhat drawn in on herself as she listened to Caleb and watched the play of thought in his eyes, wishing she could puzzle it out. And when Nic accepted yet again that she couldn't? She smirked a little, balancing one palm on the wall's edge as she leaned to shove him with the sole of one shoe. "We just had a moment," she teased, sipping her coffee, "Gotta be careful or I'm going to blink and realize we're watching 'Thelma and Louise' together." By now, with how often they seemed to talk like this? She knew some levity was always a good followup.

He grabbed her foot when she did that, and pulled on it, untying her shoe before he let go. "What kind of moment we talking?" he asked. "And Thelma and Louise...didn't they drive off a cliff in the end or something? Somehow I thought my fate would be slightly less cinematic, and slightly more 'needs to be mopped up off the pavement with a sponge'." he told her, remembering his coffee and he took another drink of it.

"What's not cinematic about that?" Nic asked, flipping Caleb off with a smirk as she drew her foot back in, twisting the laces together again. "Hell, the best parts of Dawn of the Dead are those bits. As for the moment?" She shrugged a little, not quite wild to detail her own thoughts, but determined to stick to the honesty they had going. "just one of those rare times where I'm swearing less, you're directly answering or asking questions, neither of us is being as much of a wise ass. I only do one a day, I think you do less... so it's curious when they overlap."

Something caught his attention about that and he looked at her for a moment. "Am I that evasive?" he asked. He knew he was, but it was something else to know he did it enough to get noticed about it. And was he that evasive with her? He knew he didn't tell her that one glaring secret, but...huh. He didn't know. It was possible, he supposed. So he definitely needed to ask, because if that was the case, he was going to need to work on that. He liked the back and forth they had going on. He didn't want to ruin it.

Nic shifted carefully in her perch, feet extending between them to rest along the span of the wall so she could face Caleb without turning. It was a somewhat balanced pose, but comfortable at the same time. "Not too evasive, no," she explained. "When we were first hanging out? Yeah, kinda. But you keep opening up more? I like it, too. I know there's things you can't say, and there's others you don't want to. More like... you're glib. you dress a lot of things down, put a joke in with them to try and pull the punch a little. I do it enough to recognize it. As long as you don't mind me calling you on it if I notice? We're all good."

He didn't mind. Nodding, he accepted that. It was kind of news to him that he pulled the punch, too though. He was never very good at that kind of thing. Sugarcoating or the like. Generally he sucked at it. He just...didn't usually bother, because he didn't believe in it. But maybe he did a little. Because he recognized there was such a thing as just being a dick about things too. Not everything had to be a full in your face punch. Some things could be played down at least some without making it irrelevant. "Good to know. And I don't mind you calling me on anything."

"That's a dangerous statement to make, buddy," she warned, head twisting to glance out at the street. People were filing out of the studio, the time was close enough for her to head down and get changed. "But I don't think you'd say it just to say it. So I'll just keep criticizing your fashion sense and your taste in people based on how often you show up to hang around me," Nic teased, sighing as she swung her legs off the wall and stood, swigging down another gulp of her coffee. "C'mon though, time for me to start learning how to be hardcore."

He smirked faintly, and dropped down off of the short wall. "It'll be a sight to behold." he told her. He also figured it was time he cut out, she was going to be busy, and he would probably just distract her. Whether it was intentional or not was something that was a toss up, but still. She was trying to do something good so he wasn't going to mess that up for her. "So I'll see you when I see you?" he asked.

She huffed at Caleb, scowling without much enthusiasm in the expression. "It better not be," she chastised faintly, "I'd feel weird if you hung around to watch me get all sweaty and flail around like I had epilepsy." And now she'd have to make room for covert glances; the building had those large windows in the front, after all. Of course, Nic had to wonder if she'd even see Caleb if he didn't want her to. "Yeah, you'll see me when you see me," she assured him as the scowl faded and a light smirk took its place. "When you want to? I'll be here and game for it."

There she went again, making it sound like it was all on him. All in his court, his decision to make. He didn't appreciate the pressure, but also had to wonder if he was just reading in again. He tended to do that, whether he wanted to or not. "Should you happen to want to be around me, I'm around too. Whenever...anyways, have a good first lesson." he told her, starting to back away from her as opposed to turning to walk away.

Maybe she was getting better at reading his moods. Nic thought she could see the uncertainty of Caleb's thoughts, if not their content entirely, and she wanted to replace it with some faith. In what, she couldn't say. That she was as committed as he was, maybe. She stepped in close, glad that he was backing up instead of turning away. "I'll call, then," she promised with a wink, leaning forward to headbutt Caleb lightly, "I think it's my turn, at any rate. So... don't make plans with anyone cooler than me, or I'll use my new-found asskickery on you. It'll be soon." And she wasn't just saying that; she wanted to see him again, tension or no. But Nic stepped back, grabbing the straps of her backpack and shrugging. "Get on home, Lockwood," she said, backpedaling away slowly towards the studio.

He almost reached out to tug her back, but didn't. It wouldn't help anything, in fact, it would just further complicate everything. So he didn't manage to screw everything up in that fashion. But there was a moment there... "Talk to you then." he said. And he walked another few steps in reverse, keeping his eyes on her. He'd never been any good at goodbyes. Not even normal ones, which had no emotional impact. It was just some weird flaw in his system, that he never knew what to say, or how to end a call, or a session of hanging out, or anything of the kind. It was a tick he should probably get over someday. But it didn't happen today.

Nic was keeping up the backpedal as well, internally amused at how neither of them seemed to want to look away. If she'd known his thoughts, she would've laughed at his worries of everything being on him. Nic was just as burdened by the situation as Caleb was, but she meant what she said. She couldn't push it, she didn't want to ruin it. Eventually I might have to. Just... look at him, she mused, smiling in spite of herself. But Nic knew better than to keep walking backwards, she tended to land on her ass when she did that for too long. So she turned her head to show him her cheek, tapping her jawline in the same spot where she'd kissed him before. Winking his way and laughing near-silently, Nic finally turned to head to class, letting herself blush furiously once she'd put her back to him.